Zubeen Garg Death: Singer was drunk, declined life jacket; Singapore Police reveal fresh details

Singapore: Fresh information regarding the death of Zubeen Garg was revealed on Wednesday with the Singapore Police telling a coroner’s court that the Indian singer-songwriter was severely intoxicated when he drowned off Lazarus Island in September last year.

What happened to Garg?

The 52-year-old Garg drowned on September 19, 2025, when he was at a party at a private yacht the day before he was scheduled to perform at the North East India Festival in Singapore.

What did the police say?

According to the Singapore Police, Garg entered the sea without a life jacket. However, investigators have ruled out any foul play in the incident. The chief investigating officer informed the court that Garg had initially worn a life jacket when he entered the sea, but later removed it. He declined to wear a life jacket when he decided to go for another bout of swimming in the sea a short while laer.

“He entered the water without a life jacket and started swimming alone in the direction of Lazarus Island,” the officer said.

Later, several witnesses saw Garg making a failed attempt to swim back to the yacht before going limp and floating face-down in the water.

Was the singer rescued?

Onlookers quickly pulled Garg back onto the yacht, and administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). However, the singer was pronounced dead later that day. An autopsy determined the cause of death to be drowning. Injuries found on his body were attributed to CPR and rescue efforts.

What did tests reveal?

Later, toxicology tests revealed that Garg had a blood alcohol concentration of 333 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood. This indicated severe intoxication and impaired coordination and reflexes. The legal limit in Singapore is 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres.

The police also recovered a 750 ml bottle of Scotch whisky with 43 per cent alcohol from Garg’s hotel room, which was found to be about 25 per cent full.

What did the captain of the yacht say?

The captain of the yacht, Crazy Monkey, on which Garg was attending the gathering alleged that he saw the singer's friends holding onto his arms when he came on board as he was unable to walk properly. 

He also claimed to have delivered two safety briefings and told Garg to wear a life jacket when he entered the water for the second time.

"I told his friend that he is drunk, and if he wants to get into the water, he needs to wear a life jacket," the captain told the court.